Phnom Penh — Cambodian strongman Hun Sen has denied reports that former Thai prime ministers Thaksin and Yingluck Shinawatra hold assets in Cambodia, dismissing claims that authorities were preparing to freeze them.
In a social media post on Monday evening, Hun Sen said he was surprised by the reports, stressing that neither Thaksin nor Yingluck possessed “any assets or sources of income” in the country.
“Although I have had issues with His Excellency Thaksin in the past, I must take responsibility in upholding his integrity and dignity,” Hun Sen wrote.
He added that when the Shinawatras visited Cambodia, they used his vehicles, which he said was proof that Thaksin had no property there.
Hun Sen further insisted that he had never engaged in any business ventures with Thaksin for personal or family economic gain.
“If such information originated from Cambodia, I urge for an immediate halt, as our nation must maintain its dignity and avoid spreading false and misleading stories,” Hun Sen said, adding that if the claims came from Thailand, they should be handled by Thai authorities.
Thaksin, who is now serving a one-year jail term in a Bangkok prison for corruption and abuse of power, cut his decades-long relationship with Hun Sen after the Cambodian leader leaked a private conversation with Thaksin’s daughter, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.
The leak ultimately led to Paetongtarn’s ouster by the Constitutional Court.
Until yesterday, Hun Sen had remained silent for days even after Thaksin was ordered to serve his jail term, in contrast to his usual practice of using social media to criticise Thailand and its government.
